Nevada-based startup Cartwheel Robotics is shutting down after failing to secure enough funding to get its compact humanoid robot Yogi to market.
“After four intense, unforgettable years, I’m closing the chapter on Cartwheel Robotics,” Founder Scott LaValley posted on LinkedIn, adding, “Ultimately, we didn’t find the right capital partner to bridge the gap between our progress and our potential.”
According to LaValley, a team of seven developed the compact bipedal humanoid in under a year with just $3 million in outside capital. Though it attracted attention from VCs, it couldn’t get enough funding to manufacture the prototype at scale.
“I was incredibly fortunate to have the best partner I could ask for: my sister, Samantha,” he said. “Without her, Cartwheel would have remained just an idea. Love you, sis. I’m sorry things didn’t end the way we hoped, but I’m deeply grateful we did this together.”
Yogi featured toddler proportions and cartoonish aesthetics with a large head, rounded eyes, and slightly chubby appearance reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost. A customizable version called Speedy was intended for deployment in public spaces like museums and science centers. The company emphasized human-robot interaction over practical applications.
LaValley was an OG BattleBots veteran who once appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He previously worked for Boston Dynamics and Disney Imagineering, where he led the development of a fully autonomous Baby Groot bipedal robot. He also says he helped convince Elon Musk that humanoid robots were the future and turned down an offer to work for Figure AI.
He ended his announcement with a message to fellow founders: “No money is better than the wrong money.”
He said share more info about what he’s planning next shortly. Read the full announcement below.
